Journal Letters
by Nilke
Summary: Alina has just arrived to Elibe, and has started her journey to improve her 'tactic skill'. Another 'novelizationjournal' of the game, with a difference!
1. Default Chapter

'Letter' 1: "A bunch of bandits in my way" 

Dear Mum and Dad, 

How are you doing? I hope you are safe and sound. I'm doing well here, I don't regret my choice at all, and I don't think I will. You don't have to worry that much about me, am I old enough to look after myself, and what's more, I need to live as a tactician, which is what I am! I have studied to become one, and if those Nodion creeps are so stubborn to not allow me to work 'officially', I'm going to work as one, anyway, in any place! Nodion isn't the only place in the world, as well as Juggdral. And what's more, I always wanted to come here, to Elibe, and to travel around the world, as you did. You both met in a journey, hadn't you? And don't tell me that things were different, and that you traveled just around Juggdral, but Silesia (where you met) is quite far from Nodion! 

Anyway, I'm ok, sorry for my previous rant. It's just that those men still drive me mad when I think about it. Tell auntie Sarah I'm ok, that she doesn't have to worry that much. 

The journey by sea was calm, but I had that bad luck that there were only middle aged people in that boat, so I was a sort of mascot for them. There wasn't any interesting guy of my age… I hope I'll have better luck here, I'm not transparent. 

I arrived more than two months ago, and I'm terrible surprised that you hadn't received my previous letter. It's a shame how the post network functions here… 

Well, now I'm travelling around Sacae. Its plains are of a marvelous green, but I get a bit sick of that never-ending green. Yes, I'm quite a complaining gal, I know… sorry. I haven't found any job yet, I'm just wandering from a place to the other, and miraculously, I'm not starving. Seems I do a good job differentiating the good herbs from the bad ones… 

I'm going to go on walking, so this letter ends here. I'm writing this, laying on a log, and I should find some village or even a tribe of nomad people if I don't want to sleep bad tonight. 

See you 

Alina… 

The brownish-reddish haired girl stopped writing, and put her pen and paper in her rusty bag. She looked at the sky, then, thinking in her past… The day she chose to became a tactician… the day she entered the Tactic and Strategy school of Nodion, where there were few girls, like five in her course, herself included… her graduation, and her teacher's reluctance to acknowledge her achievements (well, not only to her, but to the other girls, as well)… and her decision to leave old, boring Nodion for new airs… Elibian airs. Her luck had to change, she couldn't be that unlucky. If she stayed at home, she would have to live with her tactician knowledge as a hobby, and she wasn't going to do that, not without trying her luck in another place, different from her home. And she wasn't going to hide her job to get a boy: they would have to learn to love her by what she was, not for what they wanted her to be. She had already gave up of finding a boyfriend at home, each 'attempt of boyfriend' decided to quit when they knew her studies… 

"Enough of the past", Alina spoke to herself, sort of challenging. "I'm not going to stay here, without trying to change my luck" 

She got up quickly, picked her things and started her journey. 

*** 

"Uh-oppsss" 

Too late. When Alina realized, she was surrounded by two strong built, not very friendly men, who couldn't be anything else than bandits. Ah, feeling the adrenaline flowing in her veins, the danger of being first attacked by bandits… that was something she didn't like. 

"What do we have here?", one of the men asked, inspecting her. 

"No…nothing" 

"Is that so?", the other said, picking her bag. 

She tried to grab it, but she failed. One of the men seemed to pick something, and the other moved quickly, and she tried to run, but suddenly she felt like she was going down, down, down… 

*** 

Dear Parents, 

You'll be receiving two letters from me in the same envelope. You don't have to worry, I'm ok. It's just that some things changed drastically and I'm not feeling that well to re-write the things that I still want to tell you from my last letter. My right arm still hurts a bit, and yes… that's my writing arm. Sorry for the illegible font. 

Just after I finished my previous letter, I re-started my journey, with that luck that I ended up being pursued by bandits, and then I found myself laying in an unknown place, which I then knew it were the remaining of a Lorca tribe tent, with a green haired girl, called Lyn. Unluckily for us, some more bandits came near the tent, but Lyn wanted to fight them, and as I'm of no use in a battle but to guide the others (at least in theory), I joined her, yelling from a good distance away from her. She has some skill, so she was able to finish them off without much trouble. 

Then, it was she who wanted to join me. The worst part is that I sure looked like an elder! I asked her to get permission from her parents! I'm nothing but a year or two older than her, and I said that? What's happening to me?!?!? The worst was that her parents died like six months ago, so I'm an idiot x 2, because I asked her this, and because I saddened her, even without wanting it. Great… however, she understood my position, and well… I accepted her company. She wants to get stronger to avenge her parents death, and although it's not something I approve (murder to avenge murder), I think she can be a worthy warrior. Oh, what am I talking about?!? She can't stay there alone in a dead village, I guess I said yes because of that! And it feels lonely to wander through a strange place alone, although I'm quite a loner when it comes to work… 

Now I'm about to sleep. Lyn's already doing so. I guess it's my time now… 

Kisses 

Your little injured (but ok and 'safe and sound') Alina 

PS.: Can you believe that Lyn had the same problem than me? She said her people were quite old fashioned and that would never followed a woman… Same goes to those decrepit old men in Nodion! 

***** 

Well, submitting two fics in the same day... odd. I know that you have already read zillions of times fics retelling the game, and many journals... but this comes with a difference! How many fics include letters to 'mommy and daddy' who could be worried about their daughter, uh? =P Hope you'll like it, and please, read and review! 


	2. New comrades

Letter 2: "New comrades" 

_ Dear Parents, _

_ You shouldn't worry too much about me, I'm better than never. My arm is alright, and I can now swing a stick with enough force to defend myself (my 'subordinates' are helping me to get better in my self-defense skill). _

_Much has happened here in the last few days. Now we have two more people in our 'team'. They are two cavaliers from Caelin, in Lycia. They are quite opposites: Kent is responsible, serious and serene, while Sain is really outgoing, has his head in the clouds and is a skirt chaser. He even flattered me (thing that I had almost forgot how it was at home, due to my job… after a long time, it felt great…)._

Alina dropped her pen and paper, and closed her eyes, thinking in that moment. She was walking along Bulgar with Lyn, when a voice flattered Lyn. Everything seemed fine until Lyn noticed that he was from Lycia, and that pissed her off for some reason, so they left. She couldn't understand why Lyn reacted like that. Lyn was walking so fast, that she almost bumped into a crimson haired guy. As always, she blushed, while the guy looked quite annoyed by that. Alina now giggled at the that thought, which was the first time she ever saw Kent, but she was quite embarrassed at that moment. 

And then, while she was leaving the town with Lyn, another bunch of bandits popped out, ready to kill Lyn. Why they were all behind her green haired companion? Luckily, the 'flattering guy' from before appeared, along with the crimson haired one she bumped into before… What's more, he asked her to guide them, although he was a bit ruder than what he looked. 

"How did he know I was a tactician?", Alina thought, although the answer came soon. "I should have had one of my tactic books at sight… or do I have a placard saying 'Hello, I'm a tactician' over my head?", she said, picking her pen and paper again to go on with her letter. 

_ Thankfully, the battle ended soon, with the guys' help. Sain is one of those never-ending skirt chasers. He even tried to impress us with his lance, and Kent had to go and give him one of his swords. I prefer cavaliers using a sword, they don't look that old fashioned than when they are using a lance, but that's me. Anyway, you won't believe that Lyn's the long lost granddaughter of Marquess Caelin, will you? And that she now owns the Mani Katti, a legendary Sacaen sword? Well, all that is true. I'll explain little by little… _

_ About Lyn's descent, it's quite simple: her mother left Caelin with Lyn's father, a Sacaen nomad. Soon before she died, she sent a letter to her father talking about her life, and the Marquess sent this nice guys to look for her. But there are more people after her… head. Seems that her grand-uncle is now the heir to Caelin's title, and now with Lyn around… he no longer is. She's going to Caelin now, because if she stays at her home, she'll more likely end up six feet under in a little while. Those guys from last time weren't so easy… About me, Caelin's my destination, too! I have no other plan for the following… life-time, I guess. I can't believe how Lyn ever thought I was going to abandon them. I've become quite attached to the girl, and well… there are two guys now! Maybe my bad luck can turn the other way round! Alright, alright, that's not the real reason, but Lyn's friendship is, along with the fact that I can improve my skill, and that I wouldn't have to make miracles to eat something… _

_ About hat legendary sword, we were going our way to Caelin when Lyn asked us to stop by some old shrine, just to find a guy trying to get his hands in the sword. He was finished off in a few rounds, without any major civilian loses, although the priest had been locked into some room. As a 'thank you', the priest let Lyn touch the sword, which started glowing somehow. According to that old man, the sword chose Lyn as its wielder, a quite strange and awesome thing, as it would be a proof of her clean soul and nature, and other things like that. Jealous? You've got to be kidding me, my tactician skill is the replacement for her sword. Of course, everyone's happy, and Kent started looking at her with another eyes… thing that I don't like too much, because he's the one I like best. Sain? What can I say of him… he's like the little jester I would like to have around when I'm depressed. _

_ I have to go and take some sleep, family. I usually write this thing at night, because we are riding (or walking, like me…) all day, so we can get faster to Caelin. Everyone's asleep right now, and I should do the same. _

_ Loves _

_ Alina_ (yawn) 

_ PS.: I re-read the letter, and I just noticed that you don't know what's Caelin and Lycia at all. Sorry for that, I'm getting used to the Elibian vocabulary, as if you were. Lycia is a country here, and Caelin is a House inside Lycia, which is too far away, considering that we are travelling fast and don't seem to get anywhere closer to that infamous Caelin…_

"What's this?", Kent's voice was quite annoyed, after finding something he didn't like. "Be on your guard, Lyndis. There seems to be some sort of commotion over there" 

Lyn looked around her, with her hand near her sword, so she would grab it quickly if needed. 

"Just Lyn?", Alina asked saddened, looking everywhere quickly. The whole almost-deserted, highly attacked town gave her the creeps, and wasn't feeling too comfortable there, after listening to Lyn and her 'knowledge' on the Taliver bandits. She was also wondering what drove her to ask her to call her whenever she's ready to strike them as mice, considering that she wasn't of that line of thinking… 

"I can look after you", Sain replied her, cheerfully. 

Alina turned back to face him and looked at him puzzled. 

"What did you say?", she asked him, afraid. 

"I heard you", Sain replied, grinning. 

Alina's cheeks turned into a bright red, almost crimson color… just like Kent's hair. She could have sworn she thought that line, not that she actually spoke it. 

"Don't worry", Sain calmed her, noticing her reaction. "He didn't heard you. He's too much in his work to have noticed that" 

"What are you too mumbling back there?", Kent asked, trying to find someone. 

"Florina! What are you doing here!", Lyn exclaimed, surprised. 

In an instant, a wavy, light purple haired girl appeared, right next to Lyn. Soon, she was introduced to the others. She ended up being a pegasus knight from Ilia (as if Alina knew too much what 'Ilia' meant), who doesn't feel too comfortable around men. 

"Did your pegasus land on them?" 

"Well… I… a little", the soft spoken girl admitted, shyly. 

"Goodness, I wouldn't want to see how that feels like…", Alina thought, bitting her lips so she wouldn't start laughing. 

Just then, two bandits appeared, ready to take Florina and her 'flying mule' with them, as they kept on calling the white, winged horse. A fight was going to start… again. 

"Florina, join us!", Lyn asked quickly her little friend. "You are a pegasus kinght, you can fight!" 

"I… ok! But who's that girl over there?", she asked, pointing to Alina. 

"That one? That's Alina, my tactician. She's an apprentice, but also my tactician" 

Alina rose an eyebrow. 

"Apprentice?", she thought, annoyed. "I finished my studies at the Nodion Tactic and Strategy School! That's not what I would call an apprentice…" 

"Alina, we are facing bandits, and they are tough, and we are in a village, and the movement is restricted by houses and such things, and…", Lyn 'spitted' at her, all of a sudden. 

"Lyn, wait!", Alina interrupted her, with her hand raised. "I'm a tactician, I know all that an more. Sorry for interrupting you, but as a tactician, a graduated one, I already know that. On to the battlefield!" 

"Ah… sorry", Lyn apologized, picking her sword and going into combat. 

_ Dear Parents, _

_Things are getting better at each step, now we have three more people in our little 'band of mercenaries'. I have to admit that I'm enjoying it, although everyone believes I'm an apprentice instead of an already graduated tactician… Goodness, I hate that!_

_ The other day we reached an almost devastated village, one of those 'I-'ve-already-forgotten-the-name" villages that we have seen in the last days. We've been for just some minutes, when an old friend of Lyn, Florina, a pegasus knight, popped up, running scared. Some bandits were pursuing her because she stepped on one of the guys when she landed. I couldn't avoid smiling at that idea, but I did my best to avoid those sudden, hen-like laughters I usually have when I'm really tempted. In almost no time, we had the bandits just behind us, ready to get Florina and her 'flying mule' (as they called her pegasus). Needless to say, we went into combat… again. I've had plenty of work lately, and I can't complain about that. _

_ And to make matters worse, they were the same bandits (the Taliver) that killed Lyn's people, so she was a bit touched and took the matter personally. Not that I blame her, but she keeps on saying that she will return someday and kill them all. I still don't know what drove me to tell her that I would go with her whenever she does it, because I don't approve that. Maybe because I would have another chance to make her resign that idea… but I still don't know. _

_ On that village we've found another comrade, Wil, an archer who was travelling and had the bad luck of being in that village when the Taliver attacked. I have to admit that I had a really good time when I saw Florina's face when she realized that Wil was next to her. Apart from being shy around men, she has a TERRIBLE fear to bows, arrows and archers in general, and it took us some time to make her understand that Wil was a friend, not a foe. _

_ The battle ended soon, and we left that creepy place, just to reach some creeper place, an abandoned fortress or something like that. Personally, I think that I would have liked to sleep on the woods instead of that place, because the walls seemed to broke by just breathing next to them. However, we couldn't sleep anything, because we were… guess what?, attacked again. Before that, I really laughed with Sain's disappointment when Kent made him notice that he would have to patrol the area while we were sleeping. Everyone looked at me oddly when I started giggling. I wonder how will they react when they find out my 'special laughter' (the hen like one). Just then, we found a woman, Natalie, looking for he husband. It seems that he left the village to raise money to mend her leg, as she can't travel too much. Can you believe that? I sure want someone like that! _

_ Talking about the bandits, Natalie's husband was among them. Lyn recognized him (Natalie gave her a sketch of him) and he joined us. I talked after the fight with him and offered him to join us. The guy has some strength, and wields axes (something that we didn't have until then), and he can get some money. Maybe it wasn't the smartest move (considering that his wife wasn't that well), but it was the best thing I could do. Besides, he wanted to pay back our generosity towards Natalie, so… I don't think that was a bad deal. _

_ And now, I can't sleep and I'm a bit depressed!! When will I find someone like that? That guy, Dorcas, joined a bunch of vile bandits just to help his wife!! Will I ever find someone like that, considering my previous experience in Juggdral, where I was just a 'good girl', 'nice' in the best of cases!?!?!? And all because those guys just want girls doing 'feminine' jobs (dancer, mage, pegasus knights) or after succeeding in 'ultra-tough' ones (heroines, swordmistresses), but not tacticians! I just hhhhaaaaaaatttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeee them!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't care, I'll find someone nice, good, caring and whatever else and I'll return, and I'll walk embraced with him under all their glances, showing them that 'declared', female tacticians can also find someone who can love them! I said! _

_ I'll try to sleep. Now it's Sain's patrol, and I don't want to hear him at all. Things would be different if it were Kent's case, but I haven't seen him around here. I have a slight suspicion, but I don't have proofs to say that he just patrolled Lyn's door. Yes, it was a joke, not my real thinking. Why I use him as my victim? Well, because from our two original male members, he's the serious one. Now that there's more people (well, only Wil, Dorcas' already married), maybe I can use someone else as blank of my bad jokes… _

_ See you_

Love depressed tactician Alina 

Finally, I came with this chapter. Know what? I have writer's block, so if somebody who reads my other two fanfics wonders why I hadn't updated those but this one, my answer is that I had mid-way done this chapter before, while I had barely started the others new chapters. And know another thing? My exams are coming, so I don't know when I'll update them… See you! 


End file.
